Jose Aldo, Patricio Freire discuss UFC vs. Bellator superfight

Jose Aldo and Patricio Freire are at the top of the food chain in the UFC and Bellator featherweight divisions, respectively, but what would happen if they fought each other one day?

Aldo and “Pitbull” interviewed each other for Tatame Magazine’s print edition, and shared their thoughts on how would a superfight between 145-pound champions would go.

“It would be a great fight,” Aldo said. “We’re both aggressive fighters, we’re the best featherweights in the world. The champions, the titleholders. It would be a great fight, no doubt about it.”

“I think I’m the only guy that can do a close fight with you,” Freire said. “We know that Chad Mendes also did, but I think I can do better and maybe bring the win to my team. But, of course, I know that you would hurt me a lot, but I will also hurt you [laughs].

“I think that MMA would win a lot with this fight. If this fight doesn’t happen, it would be a huge loss for the sport. It would be like Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao never happening. It’s going to be a war, for sure.”

Aldo successfully defended the UFC 145-pound title for the seventh time against in October, scoring a decision victory over Chad Mendes, and “Pitbull” won the Bellator featherweight gold a month before in a 25-minute fight with Pat Curran.

Freire sees Aldo as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but says he has seen things we would work on against him.

“I know you’re the toughest fighter I would ever fight in my life,” he said. “You’re a complete fighter, with almost no holes in the game, but I can see some small details where I can go in. I know you also see details in my game that you can work on, but it would be an aggressive fight with a lot of heart and soul. The sport is a war to see who wants it more.”

Aldo fought tougher competition in the UFC compared to Freire’s run at Bellator, but the UFC champion doesn’t think the featherweight division inside the Octagon is in a different level than at Bellator’s cage today.

“I see (the featherweights at Bellator) at the same level today. Bellator is the second-biggest promotion in the world today,” Aldo said. “Here in the UFC, we have more names because (the promotion) is older than Bellator. (Bellator) is growing now, but already has tough fighters too. Bellator is not far behind. The different is that the UFC is on the road for a long time.”

Jose Aldo and Patricio Freire are at the top of the food chain in the UFC and Bellator featherweight divisions, respectively, but what would happen if they fought each other one day?

Aldo and “Pitbull” interviewed each other for Tatame Magazine’s print edition, and shared their thoughts on how would a superfight between 145-pound champions would go.

“It would be a great fight,” Aldo said. “We’re both aggressive fighters, we’re the best featherweights in the world. The champions, the titleholders. It would be a great fight, no doubt about it.”

“I think I’m the only guy that can do a close fight with you,” Freire said. “We know that Chad Mendes also did, but I think I can do better and maybe bring the win to my team. But, of course, I know that you would hurt me a lot, but I will also hurt you [laughs].

“I think that MMA would win a lot with this fight. If this fight doesn’t happen, it would be a huge loss for the sport. It would be like Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao never happening. It’s going to be a war, for sure.”

Aldo successfully defended the UFC 145-pound title for the seventh time against in October, scoring a decision victory over Chad Mendes, and “Pitbull” won the Bellator featherweight gold a month before in a 25-minute fight with Pat Curran.

Freire sees Aldo as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but says he has seen things we would work on against him.

“I know you’re the toughest fighter I would ever fight in my life,” he said. “You’re a complete fighter, with almost no holes in the game, but I can see some small details where I can go in. I know you also see details in my game that you can work on, but it would be an aggressive fight with a lot of heart and soul. The sport is a war to see who wants it more.”

Aldo fought tougher competition in the UFC compared to Freire’s run at Bellator, but the UFC champion doesn’t think the featherweight division inside the Octagon is in a different level than at Bellator’s cage today.

“I see (the featherweights at Bellator) at the same level today. Bellator is the second-biggest promotion in the world today,” Aldo said. “Here in the UFC, we have more names because (the promotion) is older than Bellator. (Bellator) is growing now, but already has tough fighters too. Bellator is not far behind. The different is that the UFC is on the road for a long time.”